Whether M. Night Shyamalan, convinces the FOX Network to fulfill his vision and bring back “Wayward Pines,” for a third and final season, or this episode concluded the series, we departed the year 4032, with far more hope than we felt at season one’s conclusion. Unfortunately, not every resident received their happy ending, we ended season two believing that people finally learned how to break the unending circle of man’s inhumanity to man. That perhaps after yet another fresh start, humanity can take the proper path and help our species to truly evolve.

The finale opens minutes after the previous episode, as Jason Higgins’ gets rushed into surgery on a gurney accompanied by Theo Yedlin and his senior medical student Oscar. The student stresses they need to save Jason’s life, but Theo says that the leader’s just another patient. Oscar still calls for back-up nurses in the operating room screaming that Jason’s critically wounded. We see Kerry standing in the hospital hallway, covered in blood and in a state of shock.

Outside the electric fence, Margaret stands upon a cliff and looks out into a sea of Abbies. She screams and we watch several of the Abbies start to scatter. She keeps screaming and with every screech more and more start running. We then see a lone male perhaps from another tribe, exploring and then he sees the thousands gathered around the mountain. He yells to them and waves a tree branch and then heads down into the valley to join them.

In the operating room, Theo’s removing the bullet when Jason goes into cardiac arrest and they’re without the drugs needed to restart his heart. After trying to revive Higgins with the paddles Yedlin calls the time of death at 7:30 am. Theo then addresses the residents gathered outside the hospital and announces that Jason’s dead, he says that Higgins’ ran the town the best he knew how.

He then tells them all that the way to honor Jason’s by completing his last wish, that they survive. He says he realizes most of them didn’t choose to be there, but they’re all that remains of humanity. That when they’re revived they’ll find a better way and then tells them all to head to their homes and prepare for the evacuation.

Theo walks back inside the hospital and Oscar calls Yedlin out on whether he tried to save Higgins, saying that Theo failed to perform a procedure properly and then stating that Yedlin never makes mistakes. Both know he’s busted but Theo says he did everything reasonable to save the patient. He then tells Oscar he’s going to become a fine doctor. Oscar then mentions that Jason had a very rare blood type that only four other people in town shared. Three of the folks belong to the same family, but he found it strange that the other person’s Kerry Campbell.

CJ Mitchum and Theo have a meeting in Yedlin’s office. Mitchum hands two binders to the surgeon and informs him each binder contains the lists that Higgins put together, one containing the names of those Jason deemed worthy of survival. The other one contains the people who didn’t make the cut. Mitchum tells Theo that there are still 300 people in pods who’ve yet to get revived and Yedlin can choose to use their pods to save those awake. However he stresses that every change Theo makes to the list, Yedlin’s choosing to pardon somebody by condemning another.

We get a glimpse of the radar screen tracking the Abbies and the crowd outside the fence continues to grow at an alarming rate. Kerry walks into Theo’s office and asks if Jason suffered and he asks her if she wanted him to? She says she doesn’t know and Yedlin responds that she’s now got a pod.

She’s repulsed by Theo’s apparent callousness and asks if he thinks it’s all just a joke? He says that she was always the brains behind the tyrant and she cries out Jason wasn’t a tyrant. Theo then asks he if she’s aware that Pilcher changed her records and she responds that she’s aware. He then says that Jason was put into cryogenic hibernation days after he was born and she went into hibernation shortly after giving birth and they shared a very rare blood type and leaves the room. She comprehends what he said seconds after he exits and proceeds to wretch into a wastebasket.

We check back with Margaret and we see that the Abbies have likely grown ten-fold since the last time we saw them. Margaret’s going to finally get the vengeance she’s wanted since Pilcher wiped out most of her tribe with an automatic weapon mounted on a helicopter in 4014.

There’s an announcement over the loud-speaker system in the town, saying that extraction teams are gathering the first group to take them back to the mountain. The announcer states that if you’re not picked up in the first wave to calmly wait at their homes until the shuttles return. However we soon see the ugly reality of families getting split up and folks left behind. Our first glimpse comes when a father’s told to wait behind as his wife and two children get shuttled to the mountain.

At Wayward Pines Academy, we witness a situation involving residents we know, as Lucy’s loaded into a school bus while Frank’s told to wait inside the dormitory. Lucy sees her older brother in the window of the dorm and starts calling for him. Frank hears her cries and tries to leave the building but he’s bludgeoned by a guard and passes out. The bus pulls away as Lucy cries that she doesn’t want to leave her brother.

The extraction team come for Rebecca but tell Xander that he’ll be picked up in the second wave of shuttles. Rebecca starts to protest, but Xander asks the soldier if they could have some private time. She tells Beck she’s not going to leave him, but Xander tells her she must and that he’ll always be with her and their baby no matter where they are or he’s at. There’s a tearful kiss goodbye and then the jeep pulls off.

Yedlin and Mitchum are taken along with Mario and Kerry to the mountain facility and then CJ and Theo sit down and talk about the future. CJ tells the doctor that each death means the end of a universe, while each life saved continues another universe. Theo recalls his conversation with Sheriff Pope in Hawaii, when Pope asked Yedlin if he could save a hundred people would he do it. He then says the decision’s easy to make in theory, but far tougher in reality. Mitchum starts to realize that perhaps Theo’s not planning on going back into hibernation.

Reality starts to set in for those left behind, as we hear Johnny Cash singing the old Tom Petty hit “Won’t Back Down.” Arlene’s sitting in front of the hospital with tears streaming down her face. Xander’s walking through the town square with a rifle on his shoulder as others take out their frustration in destruction. Breaking store-front windows and knocking over statues.

Theo’s alone in the lab and he grabs an audio recorder and leaves a message for the survivors. He informs the listener that David Pilcher was wrong and his vision was twisted. He built a town to save humanity but ruled in an inhumane fashion. Yedlin states there’s no such thing as the “Greater Good,” there’s just good, no matter how small the action.

He then explains that Pilcher brought along strains of the deadliest diseases known to man, theorizing the scientist planned experiments with germ warfare. He says that he’s going to inject himself with the three deadliest strains; the bubonic plague, typhus and the Marburg virus. He then tells the listener that after the 13-hour incubation period, he’ll step outside the gate and get consumed. He says the theorizes that the bubonic plague should kill about half to two-thirds of the Abbies and that Typhoid fever and the Marburg virus travel through communal water and should wipe out the rest of them by the time the humans get revived.

Mario informs Yedlin that Rebecca just reached the facility but there’s a disturbance at the gate. We see the crowd stranded on the outside of the fence try to prevent Rebecca and the guard from getting through the gate. Rebecca makes it inside, but the guards stabbed and dies outside the fence around the mountain facility. The crowd starts screaming and surging towards the fence when Mitchum arrives with his automatic weapon and scares the crowd off with a burst of fire into the air. He screams at them to go home.

As the rioting continues in the town square, Xander’s sitting in the remains of a building chugging on a bottle of whiskey, when Frank shows up and asks for a hit off the bottle. Beck says Frank’s too young, but he probably realizes how ridiculous the statement was as he soon hands the bottle over to the teen. Just after Frank takes a swig a jeep barrels into town and stops directly in front of them. Theo opens the door and tells the pair to jump in.

The trio’s about to head to the facility when two guys stand in the middle of the road, one holding a Molotov Cocktail. Xander tells Theo that he’s got this and steps out of the passenger door of the vehicle, the dude yells to Beck that he needs that Jeep and Xander best not do anything stupid. Beck aims at the bottle which explodes in the guy’s hand and he’s consumed by the flame. The trio head to the mountain.

When they pull up to the gates of the facility, Frank and Xander run inside to look for their loved ones, but Yedlin’s stopped by a familiar face. Arlene’s standing there and says to Theo that he should have told them and he agrees with her. She says good luck in the future and starts to walk away when Yedlin tells her she’s getting the pod of the guard whose corpse lies outside the fence. She thanks Yedlin with a passionate kiss.

Kerry’s standing in the area for processing already wearing her hibernation uniform on, when she almost jumps out of her skin when she feels a hand on her shoulder. It’s CJ, attempting to comfort her and she looks at him and says you don’t even know what’s going on. He smiles and says of course he does, David and Jason are gone. He then says that he’s going to need her when they’re revived and he says she certainly deserves a fresh start. Perhaps hearing the same words Pilcher said to her, provoked her response as she replied no thanks that she already had one and then leaves the room.

Xander and Frank find Rebecca and Lucy, while Lucy’s overjoyed Rebecca’s confused as to how her husband reached her. Beck nods towards Theo and the former husband and wife make eye contact. Later, Rebecca comes to thank her former husband for saving Xander with a hug. She tells Theo they couldn’t save their marriage, but he’s the only one who can save the town.

With everything in order Yedlin heads back to the lab to start the process that will sacrifice his life to hopefully save those who are in hibernation. Suddenly Theo hears his own voice talking about injecting himself with the three diseases. Kerry’s in the lab holding the recorder and says that she’s decided the best way to fulfill her purpose, is to sacrifice herself. Theo begs please don’t do this, but she drops the vials on the floor and announces she’s already done it.

Yedlin gives her a bottle and a syringe and tells her it’s morphine and for her to inject it into a vein two minutes before she goes outside the electric fence. She says that the world needs Theo and men like Theo to protect against men like her son. She then smiles sadly and says she’s just a girl from Idaho and then bids him farewell.

The hibernation process finalized, Christopher James Mitchum contemplates whether he wants to once again go back to sleep. He suddenly sees his wife’s vision standing in front of him and she tells him he looks tired. She then tells him that he can create any world he wants and Mitchum decides to enter his pod and join the rest of the survivors.

After Mitchum’s back in hibernation, Wayward Pines powers down and we see all the lights in the facility and then the town go off. We also get one final glimpse inside the greenhouse and we see that a plant’s sprung to life, meaning the soil’s no longer toxic. We watch a rather hazy version of Kerry opening the gate that protects the town and we hear the alarms sound as she shuts it closed behind her. Seconds later we hear the sounds of what sounds like the Abbies making a meal out of Campbell.

There’s one final scene, we’re not given a date however we see that the forest now seems to be populated by just a few Abbies and we hear a baby cry. Our last shot shows us an Abbie mother with what looks very much like any new-born infant. Did the viruses leave the surviving Abbies back on the path to humanity?

There is a loud pounding at the door as Elliot labels another “hack disk”. The knock becomes varied in pattern and volume. Its Darlene wearing a FSociety mask, “Trick or treat?” Apparently Halloween is a thing with these two. Or at least it used to be. Elliot offers his couch if she needs somewhere to crash. She cuts him off to say something that I cannot make out. Sounds like “in it one”. Not ashamed to say, I have no idea what she just said. This is clearly something that means something between them. A phrase of significance, likely a coding term of some sort. A phrase that clearly articulates to the other that things just got real.

Darlene successfully convinces Elliot to hang out. They begin watching a movie labeled “The Careful Massacre of the Bourgeoisie” from 1984. Despite the age of the movie and the mere fact that I would have no interest in it, one of the characters is wearing a FSociety mask. Darlene rambles on about food, boyfriend’s cell carrier and posting to Instagram. None of which Elliot seems to care about. Darlene asks what his deal is (essentially) and he replies with “I got fired”. Elliot’s rambling has me almost concerned that I somehow missed an episode (which we all know that is not the case). Like that feeling that you studied for the wrong test.

Elliot re-lives Memorial Day. He was to make sure that the servers were hacker proof. Then as he tells the story, he pivots on a dime. “All the servers were destroyed. I don’t even remember doing it”. His matter of fact story continues as he mentions the therapist he was forced to see as part of an anger management program. Then he slowly looks over to Darlene and says exactly what we expected him to say at this point.

Elliot: I guess its official. I’m crazy.

Darlene’s reaction is fittingly matter of fact. Turning it back towards the “Wall Street Psychos”. By the way, I just got it. Part of these recaps is for you to hopefully see or experience these shows from perhaps, a different perspective. It took me most of the scene, but I’ve got it now. This is all one flashback. The mask was bought as a goof long before the FSociety thing ever happened. Elliot lost his job, that is true but it also predates the hack and All Safe for that matter. Getting back on track, Elliot mentions how his friend Angela, may be able to get him in at All Safe.

The conversation switches over to their mother. A person they both don’t see very often. Memories of Dad, or lack thereof. Darlene eludes to the idea that she doesn’t remember him well and that is concerning. Elliot gets up and walks to the closet where he pulls out the Mr. Robot jacket that their Dad used to wear. She wants him to put it on. Then she asks him to don the Careful Massacre mask. Without removing the mask, Elliot mentions that maybe he should take the All Safe job. He could be their Trojan Horse.

Elliot: I could take them down from the inside.
Darlene: Who?
Elliot: Evil Corp.
Darlene: Okay…can’t tell if you’re joking behind that mask.

While Darlene is in moderate disbelief, Elliot-still wearing the mask, begins to work out the details in his mind. Elliot gets to why we’re here. It’s the follow through. Removing the public trust after the hack. With phrases like, “that’s the only way it would work” Darlene begins to look increasingly concerned for what she’s hearing.

Darlene boards a train while Elliot goes through a morning routine. Darlene arrives at their mother’s home so its safe to assume we are back in present time. Despite the living arrangement Elliot has secured, she is compelled to tell him something. He interrupts her to break in the notion that he knows what she’s doing. Elliot wants her to stop, Darlene still has her eyes on the bigger prize. Elliot is stern, he wants her to stop. He believes they are on the other side of something bad. Darlene reminds him that this scenario is exactly what he predicted. Elliot tries to shrug it off by saying he doesn’t “need him”, to which Darlene retorts, “maybe I do”. Inner Elliot chimes in that she’s hiding something.

Meanwhile, Dominique is on scene at the FSociety headquarters with a team of feds. She’s already picked up on the stolen electricity. Still working on their internet connection. One of the feds questions this place as a legitimate base of operations. Dom reminds him that FSociety are hackers. They do what they do because they believe in it. They like to hide in plain sight. Another agent adds that the whole End of the World party was on social media. The only hard evidence they have is what looks like a bullet casing.

Mrs. Wellick has a strange conversation with the parking attendant who works the lot that Elliot woke up in at the end of last season. He’s being paid hush money to continue telling the story Mrs. Wellick is paying him to say. He’s uneasy and regrets ever agreeing to it. Wellick’s driver hands him an envelope of cash. When the attendant departs her car, the driver explains that they are running out of money. Then she ends the conversation.

Elliot and Ray play chess. Ray puts his knight in a position of check for Elliot and mentions that Elliot could use some practice. Elliot quickly rearranges the pieces back to the starting point. “Your move”, as if he’s suggesting they continue practicing. Elliot pushes back as if Ray could teach him anything. Ray leans back, and suggests that Elliot play himself. Practice. When Elliot asks what good would that do, Ray points out that something is on Elliot’s mind. It’s been there since the day they met. Inner Elliot responds to Ray’s comments while Actual Elliot does not. Perhaps that something on his mind is that he perpetrated the greatest hack in human history and someone he knew died because of it.

Ray changes direction by explaining how confessing could help Elliot deal with what weighs on him. Inner Elliot is considering it. Elliot is generally guarded. The fact that he’s even considering letting an outsider in on the details, is a step. A step towards sanity or a step towards his undoing. As he begins to debate in his head how helpful it would be to have someone to confide in, Dad shows up.

Mr. Alderson: You tell him anything and I will find the tallest building and swan dive off of it.

His very presence pushes Elliot in one direction. The direction Dad does not want him to go. With Ray in front of him, Elliot makes a slow transition from talking to Ray and hearing Dad to looking at Ray but talking to Dad, without letting Ray know what’s happening. Instead of reacting, Ray simply looks at Elliot and tells him that he needs this game more than he thought.

Dad proposes a winner take all game. Stakes of the game go like this. If Elliot wins, Dad goes away. For good. And Elliot will be free to confess whatever he likes. If Dad wins, Dad is in charge once and for all. And Elliot will be sent into a state that would parallel what happened the night of the hack. Elliot would lose all sense of time and memory. He would become nothingness.

Elliot snaps out of the image of a chess board to find himself in Krista’s office. It doesn’t take long for her to suggest that speaking to Mr. Alderson might be helpful. That would legitimize Dad’s existence and give him too much power. She continues to push and Elliot let’s out some infrequent truth. He wants to know what Krista wants from him regarding this issue. For him to admit he sees his dead father? That he speaks to him? That there are periods of time missing from his recollection? That he’s losing his mind? That he didn’t recognize his own sister? That he lacks the control to stop it? While his outbursts got louder and more indignant, Krista is not concerned. This may be the biggest breakthrough they’ve had.

Krista explains that while the existence of Mr. Alderson is cumbersome and annoying to the point Elliot is willing to risk it all, it’s not that simple. Elliot wants to eradicate his father from his consciousness, but Krista explains that like it or not, Mr. Alderson is a part of what makes Elliot, Elliot. She finishes by saying annihilation is not the answer. Elliot disagrees. Then goes into an introspective analogy that all we do is annihilate the things we think other people don’t like about us. This transitions into the images of White Rose putting on makeup and dropping a bombshell that should not surprise to us at this point. White Rose is talking to Phillip Price. I feel the need to drop a “cahoots” here.

Price and White Rose are absolutely in on this somehow, but to what end is the question. White Rose is concerned with the time of the issue. Surprise, surprise. Price comes back with the “Rome burned in a day but wasn’t built in a day” reference. The idea of building whatever this is and it taking time does not please White Rose. Speaking to her assistant she references a second plan, which will also take time. He presents her with a tablet that has a FBI classified document of Dom’s progress and investigation into the FSociety headquarters.

Mrs. Wellick stands in Mr. Knowles house. He finds her, clearly he’s a little drunk. She’s there to inquire as to the delay in her husband’s severance package. He doesn’t seem to care as his issue is finding the person who killed his wife. She actually rolls over on Tyrell right then and there. She will testify against her husband if Knowles will release the severance package. She has a baby after all. Knowles stands firm. Mere inches from her face he says, “Tyrell Wellick’s baby gets exactly what it deserves…nothing”.

Darlene returns to what looks like Coney Island and it is less quiet than you’d think. One of many in FSociety masks bumps into Darlene and demands to have her phone. Its Cisco. He gives her directions and walks away. Cisco meets up with her two blocks later to inform her the feds have raided their hangout. He claims to feel confident that what’s going on has nothing to do with the Dark Army as there is nothing in it for them. Cisco wants to make sure Darlene is OK. She is anything but OK. He tries to fix it, she pushes back. Suggesting that somehow letting a woman stay upset is what a man would do. Then there is a scene involving Cisco, Darlene and a public bathroom that I will not provide any details on. This is a family friendly website even if the show I’m covering is not. Suffice it to say, Darlene is scared that the feds are onto them specifically.

Elliot stares blankly at a folded up chess board while Leon rambles at their lunch spot. Leon abandons whatever unimportant story he’s telling to focus on Elliot’s attention to the chess board. Elliot shakes off Leon’s interest or at least he thinks he does. Leon persists. He even sounds somewhat informed on this subject and asks Elliot what he’s waiting for. If the game isn’t intended for Leon, its intended for someone. Even with the stakes where they are-existence, Leon is intrigued. Feeling profound, Leon asks if Elliot wants to be here, in the cosmic sense. Then very clearly explains that existence can be good or bad, but the result is up to the individual. He suggests that Elliot try dreaming. If the dreams are good, then its good. If they aren’t, then maybe it is time to check out.

I will leave some to the imagination on Elliot’s dream sequence. The part where he closes his eyes and dreams of what life would be like if he truly connected with those he cares about. Reunite with long gone friends. See his sister find true happiness. Amends for those he’s wronged. A future that’s not so lonely. A future filled with friends and family. Should be noted, Tyrell Wellick shaking Ray’s hand and Darlene sitting happily across from Angela is particularly creepy right now. And just about the time you feel comfortable with this scenario in Elliot’s head he says, “and you’ll be there”, camera pulls into an empty chair as the lone skyscraper in the backdrop falls to the ground. This is the world he’s always wanted. And Elliot now knows, he would very much like to fight for it.

Let the game begin. Elliot monologues about the nature of chess and the beauty of it as he and Dad engage in a speed chess like game. Only problem is this is not one vs another. This is one vs himself. Even with existence itself as the prize, they reach a stalemate. Elliot resets as there has to be a winner one way or another. Right when Elliot clearly states to Dad that he is aware that Dad isn’t even here, acknowledging his mental ‘issue’, they reach another stalemate. And this will continue as long as the subconscious of one is dictating the moves of another.

This chess match was supposed to be the episode’s big payoff. The thing that changes the direction of story lines (perhaps) going forward. But just as Elliot discovers playing the game, we should have known that was a futile hope from the beginning. Elliot is not going to be able beat himself. Or as Dad puts it, its pointless for them to fight each other. They will remain in a perpetual state of impasse.

Angela barks demands at Price from the shadows as he exits the building. He doesn’t laugh or stop her. He encourages her to continue. Angela noticed a pattern in all of the settlements filed in the case from her home town. Price was trying to position Angela to convince those plaintiffs to drop the third provision, outside inspections. Which Angela is willing to do, for the right price. Phillip is still impressed with her, but this he claims, is all in her head.

Darlene calls Elliot at their mother’s home all but begging him to get on a terminal so she can share with him what she knows now. Before he will even consider getting on a terminal, Elliot needs to know if she meant what she said when she suggested she needs Mr. Robot not Elliot right now. She turns it around and claims she wants him. He says, “You know what to do”.

Dad is verbally annoyed as to why he and Elliot are back at Ray’s house. Ray enters and is not surprised to discover that no one actually won when he played himself. Before Elliot can set up the confession we are all expecting here, he pivots and tells Ray he’s there to fix that pesky computer problem Ray’s been having. Ray calls someone to enter the room, but before they do, he goes on a tangent. Suggesting that many prophets, Jesus and Moses among them, also heard voices. Perhaps, Elliot’s dealing with his own divinity.

To this point, Ray has been the same. Even when dealing with the previous IT guy, always the same. In this moment when Ray’s “associate” enters the room, it’s a little different. He asks Elliot to respect his task and consider how important his online business is. And to please fix the task, but try not to look where you don’t have to.

Inner Elliot: I know. I know. This is really scratching that part of my brain again. But that’s the part of my brain I need to start ignoring.

Elliot uses Ray’s computer to communicate with Darlene. She spills everything. Elliot’s face gradually turns to panic. He must know everything they know. This is the way he will fight for his dream. His ‘fighting’ is to hack the FBI.

Season One of the FOX Network’s summer series “Wayward Pines,” felt like being submerged in a tank of ice-cold water when David Pilcher revealed to Ethan Burke and the audience, that they now lived in the year 4028. Realizing that they couldn’t shock their audience in Season Two, the show’s creative staff used a different method of telling their story. Their new method could be best described as putting the audience in another tank of water and slowly turning up the heat in each episode. We’ve watched as the writers slowly peel back the layers of the onion and discovering the ways that David Pilcher, fulfilled his vision.

Much of Episode Nine’s story takes place in our era as Pilcher goes searching for his “Chosen One,” a child that will enter cryogenic suspension shortly after birth. This child will be groomed to become Pilcher’s hand-picked successor, groomed from day one to become the eventual leader of Wayward Pines. After much research, Pilcher discovers the perfect candidate at a toney girls’ school, Walcott Prep.

The mother-to-be comes from a prestigious family, her father’s a Senator. The child’s father’s in his first year at Harvard and they both just want to get through this “inconvenience” and go onto their lives of privilege. After meeting with school officials, Pilcher meets with the parents and then privately with their daughter Abigail.

Pilcher’s extremely awkward in his meeting with Abigail and he attempts to keep his composure when the teenager tells him she expected he’d be younger. She’s reading Orwell’s Animal Farm and David’s face lights up when he realizes what she’s holding. He takes the book from her and reads a passage that talks about the animal’s conception of heaven. She responds with a passage she’s memorized from the end of the novel, that alludes to the fact that the previously warring factions, now looked exactly alike. Pilcher says it’s an idealistic novel, Abigail replies that it begins in an idealistic tone, but then goes dark.

Returning to 4032, we watch the Abbies attempting to save Margaret, they cauterized the wound with fire and then wrap her injured arms in leaves. We watch as she takes nourishment and we can feel the concern the Abbies have for their leader. Once again we see a humanity displayed by the Abbies, that’s absent in the last human outpost.

There’s been no greater transformation of a character this season than Dr. Theo Yedlin, who got revived in the season opener to save the life of rebel Kate Hewson. After completing the surgery, Yedlin found himself unceremoniously dumped outside the protective fence along with Xander Beck and Ben Burke. Kerry Campbell got gutted by an Abbie, which led to Jason Higgins sending soldiers to rescue him. Theo originally thought that he’d been the target of Team-Pilcher’s capture, but he soon found out that his wife Rebecca had designed the town for the visionary madman and he just got snatched up in the bargain.

Yedlin originally wanted no role in the new reality he found himself in, but without a properly trained medical staff he realized his medical skills were needed. He challenged Higgins authority from the start, telling the leader that Theo could fill Jason’s role, but Higgins couldn’t perform surgery. Yedlin’s authority and power’s increased with each episode and the doctor who stopped using guns due to the damage they caused gave way to a man wanting vengeance. He decides to enlist the man now married to Theo’s former wife Xander Beck, to help carry out his mission.

Yedlin enters the ice-cream shop and Beck comes out of the back room expecting to argue with Theo over Rebecca, but the surgeon makes it clear that’s not the reason for his visit. He tells Xander that he wants to take out Higgins and asks for his assistance. Beck replies that he’s fine with the regime change, but he asks Yedlin if he’s got a plan of what they should do after killing Jason. Theo remains silent, showing us all that he’s not thought about anything but killing the boy-king.

CJ Mitchum walks into the shop and tells Yedlin that Higgins has summoned them both to the mountain. When they arrive, Jason tells them he’s decided that the only way to save the community’s for them all to go back into cryogenic hibernation. He asks Mitchum to check the pods and make certain they’re all operational and he tells them he’s going to address the town and tell them of his decision.

Turns out there’s a fly in the ointment, CJ informs Higgins that powering the fence and the town has drained many of the pods batteries and they’re now inoperable. Mitchum tells Jason that only 571 pods can operate, leaving about half their citizens to die by starvation or at the hands of the Abbies.

Higgins tries to pull a fast one on Yedlin, but he soon confesses what Mitchum told him and asks Yedlin to go through the medical records of the residents and divide them into groups. Theo refuses to go that route telling Jason that the only fair way to choose who survives, is by lottery. Higgins dismisses the idea saying that people who are needed could be left to die. Theo then brings up the fact that Kerry can’t get pregnant and reminds him that Pilcher would have allowed her to die.

Yedlin decides to use the situation to his advantage and meets with Kerry and tells her about the lack of working pods. He tells Campbell that Jason’s going to leave her behind because she can’t get pregnant. She loses her composure and tells Theo she doesn’t believe him and Higgins loves her. Yedlin responds that he loves Pilcher more and that she’s got to take Jason out. Theo keeps his hands clean while achieving his desired results.

We flashback to 2017, and watch as Team-Pilcher does its final preparation check before they enter their cryogenic hibernation. Mitchum tells David that all the pods are in working condition and they’ve got some extras if Pilcher decides to add any last-minute guests. Pilcher’s cellphone rings and his face turns ashen when he finds out that Abigail miscarried and his “Chosen One” died. He’s crushed, they’re scheduled to all be frozen within days and he’s lost his successor.

In desperation Pilcher heads to a hospital in Boise and finds an unwed mother who doesn’t want to keep her son. David makes a huge donation to the hospital and gives the mother a huge amount of money. He asks the physician if he could possibly talk with the child’s mother, but he believes she’s asleep. A girl’s voice rings out from the bed that she’s awake and the young mother’s Kerry Campbell.

Campbell’s from a town about 30-miles outside of Boise and she’s had a hard-knocks life. We find out the father of her child’s a boy she knew since she was seven, but she says she guesses she never really knew him. Pilcher asks if he hurt Kerry and she smiles that he tried to, just like her step-brother and father did, but she didn’t let them. David asks her what she’s going to do with the money and she starts beaming and telling Pilcher about all the places she’s going to travel to beginning with Paris.

Turns out Campbell’s infatuated with the writings of Marcel Proust, author of a seven part epic entitled In Search Of Lost Time. She’s mesmerized by his words after taking a bite from a cookie and the memories it evokes within him. We can see that Pilcher’s captivated by the young woman and we realize why he asked her to join his new society. Unfortunately he never expected that her son would see her file and that Jason would conclude that she’d be the perfect mate for him. Unaware that the woman he’d chosen was actually his mother.

Higgins goes through all of the files of the town’s residents and discovers that Kerry Campbell has an alternate file telling the true story of her past. He sees that she had a son and that the child got renamed Jason Higgins. Unlike Oedipus from the Greek Myths, Higgins does not react to the news by tearing out his own eyes. He decides he’ll end this twisted relationship by killing Campbell.

Kerry walks into Jason’s office right then, fearing he’s going to leave her behind because she’s defective, but putting on a brave face. Higgins naturally loses his composure quickly and tells Kerry about the problem with the pods. He then says he’s glad it’s out in the open, that they share everything with each other. He then asks why she never told him she had a baby and she thinks Jason believes that’s why she can’t get pregnant. She tells him it was 2,000 years ago and Pilcher saw something special in her and asked her to join his society. Higgins asks her what happened to her son and she told Higgins what Pilcher told her in the hospital, he got sent to Texas. Jason asks how can she be sure and she replies Pilcher told her.

Who actually made the first move’s hard to say but soon the couple were locked in a battle to the death. They both struggle for Jason’s pistol, then we hear a gunshot and we go to commercial. When we return we’re watching one of Higgins memories. We see him pick Kerry’s file to become his significant other and then we watch as Jason’s the first person Kerry meets in Wayward Pines.

We jump back to 4032, and find Campbell and Higgins lying next to each other on the floor. We see by the blood streaming from his chest that Jason got shot. His dying words to Kerry are that they taught her well at Walcott Prep.

Our final scene takes us back outside the fence and we find that Margaret’s getting stronger and will survive her shooting. The leader of the Abbies sits upright and growls and soon the thousands of Abbies that surround her follow suit.

We begin tonight with a flashback sequence. Romero walks down the Coney Island pier trying to explain to Mobley why he’s there. Divided by a generation, Romero takes it to its simplest terms. A story from 1925 about how one couple found success running a ‘freak show’ in the very property they are about to visit. The story doesn’t end well as the crazed husband/father kills everyone, but you get the point. Romero is setting the stage and context for what will become FSociety’s Headquarters. FSociety (or at least its location) has a history of death in a weird grotesque fashion.

The last person to own this building and subsequent business was Romero’s cell mate previous to this point in the timeline. That cellmate gave Romero the keys and made him promise to burn it down. That man believed this building to be cursed. This quickly becomes a pitch. Romero is fresh out of the clink. This building while it may be cursed, is still a sweet, low-key set up. Records are in limbo and Romero is siphoning the electricity. A sweet setup for someone looking to get some work done while not being noticed doing it. Even references to Mobley “his guy”. Then Mobley flips the direction of the conversation.

Mobley: I’m not here to rent from you, I want you to work with us.
Romero: I just got out, I ain’t trying to go back no time soon.
Mobley: Just meet with my guy, we need a freaker and I know you’re the best in the game.

Back in the present there is a slow visual build to Elliot standing in the hallway in complete disbelief after hearing that familiar greeting, “Bon Swah”. Fear washing over him. Confusion in his eyes. But also, a noticeable lack of the wheels in his head turning. Elliot focuses on the immediate question and not the larger ones he should be focused on. He just wants to know where Tyrell is. Wellick is cryptic in his answers revealing no actual location. Then Wellick suggests that Elliot knowing his whereabouts might not be the best idea. Wellick even questions if Elliot is having cold feet. Cold feet about something we the viewers are still in the dark on.

Before the conversation can go too far in any direction Mr. Alderson’s hand drops down to disconnect the call. Alderson conveys that he and Elliot had a deal regarding Wellick and speaking to him. This was Alderson’s way of keeping his end of the deal. However, unhelpful as it was.

In another flashback (this might be a thing tonight), Mobley makes his way to Romero’s mother’s place. She directs him downstairs, its clear at this point in the timeline, Mobley has achieved ‘friend of the family’ status. Good thing too, because Mobley just walked out back to discover what looks like a dead Romero. Cell phone busted and a pool of blood under his head.

We find Ray having breakfast with someone, it resembles in home hospice care. Large medical devices (dialysis perhaps) creating the soundtrack to Ray’s commentary. Even as the camera pulls back we don’t see who he’s talking to. Whoever it is, lacks the ability or desire to respond. I’m not planting any flags with this but, I wouldn’t be surprised if A) that’s Ray’s wife and B) this has something to do with the meeting Elliot was unaware he was a part of. Or Mr. Alderson, depending on how you’re seeing it at this point.

At the afternoon game, part of Elliot’s rigorous adherence to routine as an effort to get rid of Dad, Elliot is back on the pills. Elliot stands toe to toe with Dad. It’s not morphine, it’s a new attempt to get rid of the problem. Then Elliot begins popping one Aderall after the other. One after the other. After he gets about eight pills in, without breaking that piercing Rami Malek stare, Elliot walks away.

This is where Elliot refers to the episode title without doing so. Kernel attack. Only so much can be done following an “Internal Fatal Error”. Right about the time Elliot begins to feel a sense of calm about what he’s just done, a strange man asks for some time…and using Elliot’s last name. Elliot attempts to run but once again the men in the black suits grab him. Generally speaking, I don’t think the feds put the black hood over their suspects.

Mobley sits in a subway car, nervous as a group of cops size him up before departing the train. After they depart, Darlene inconspicuously sits down next to Mobley. Without reverence for the moment, Darlene reiterates how they all knew Romero selling drug was a risk.

The mysterious black Suburban delivers Elliot to some sort of dark garage or parking structure. The men in suits zip-tie Elliot to the only chair in sight. Two of the men start mixing concrete before Elliot then pour it down a funnel and into his mouth. The strange man asking for Elliot’s time was just a projection perpetrated by Dad. All in an effort to get Elliot to throw up the Aderall. Dad charges into how he’s burrowed under Elliot’s brain and Elliot will cooperate because Dad owns him. Just that thought, just the notion is enough to get Elliot to dive back into his own vomit to get the Aderall back in his system. Actually a moderately gross scene. Dad watches in disbelief.

Elliot: I will not be owned.

Angela waits patiently in a strange room while Mr. Price furiously signs papers without so much as looking up at her. Offers his condolences for the untimely death of Gideon then tells her the incredible interview parameters she negotiated are all wrong. She takes ownership of the new task but then questions it. This prompts Price to direct her to sit down. He eventually sits down beside her. Talks her down the path of an old dive bar that became one of the nicest restaurants in New York City. Its awkward but she plays along. Price will make reservations and arrange a car for her. He gets up to go back to his desk, before he’s seated he retracts his previous order to run with Fox over Bloomberg as well as undoing all the other details of her deal. Just like that he backs off completely.

Dominique DiPierro lies in bed running through her news feed on her phone. Ironically, she asks Alexa (a voice activated interactive device for the home) for the time. It’s ironic because there is a clock millimeters from the news stories she was reading on her phone. Then a montage of Dominique getting ready in the morning. A futile effort it seems.

Dominique is the first on the scene to investigate Romero’s death. One of the feds found three sheets of Feds and their identities. Dominique DiPierro’s name is among them. She tries to brush it off like its nothing. Then she directs her attention to the forensics agent who is recklessly connecting a device to a desktop that was out in the open. Dominique asks a very important question too late. “Did you check to see if they were modified ports?” No sooner than did she say that, the CPU caught on fire.

Darlene and Mobley stand in Trenton’s parent’s home. Eventually Trenton’s mother gives them a moment. There is one mention-able theory on their minds. Is the Dark Army offing people connected to the hack? Darlene rejects the idea immediately. Darlene is the sole Dark Army contact. Well her and Elliot. Darlene doesn’t even want to consider what Mobley is thinking. Darlene will reach out to Elliot, in the meantime, she think’s everyone should just ‘chill’.

We get some more light shed on what exactly Ray does for a living. There is a very slow camera pivot that reveals while Ray is speaking with someone who does not respond, we find a nice home and a mother clutching her son. Ray speaks about wealth without health. It seems like Ray is an enforcer. Rocky Balboa in the beginning of Rocky I, just more articulate and polite. The person he’s speaking to had the left side of his face almost kicked in from the look of it. Bottom line, ‘the site’ has been down too long. If this man fixes it, he will get his wealth and in time, hopefully, his health.

There is a legitimate issue. Whatever it is this man is supposed to be able to do, he does not know how to do. He pleads with Ray and even explains what it is he does not know how to do. If you’re foreshadowing sense is tingly, it should be. This at least fills in a potential gap between Ray, Elliot, and the meeting Elliot does not remember

Ray’s Driver: I could try to convince him again…
Ray: Just because you beat a man’s face to a pulp don’t mean he’s gonna know what he don’t know.

Elliot has not slept for three days. It’s not what you think. He is just so absolutely thrilled with the world now that Mr. Alderson is no longer in it. Elliot is experiencing complete bliss, like we’ve never seen Elliot display before. Not even the “I did it” scene in time square early in season one. This sequence is a little creepy…in a good way. The excess of Aderall is effectively removing Mr. Alderson from Elliot’s consciousness. It also seems to be sharpening his senses. Things seem clearer. Almost in a “Limitless TV series” sort of way. Elliot is downright jovial.

This is a different Elliot. But here’s the rub, it’s a high Elliot. He’s becoming more focused? Leon’s Seinfeld theories all of a sudden seem interesting? Ending with the admission that Elliot may have even found God. Not criticizing it, just suggesting that’s about the most un-Elliot thing this character could’ve done. Catching the holy ghost was particularly un-Elliot like.

As Elliot’s unapologetic exuberance for his new life minus Dad, it all snaps back into focus. Real Elliot and Inner Elliot aren’t on the same page. Inner Elliot knows this is a rouse. The false reality slowly dissipates. Elliot looks down at the Aderall in his hand and his hand and arm begin to pixelate. The audio is jumbly. Then he pops the pill. We then find Elliot across from Leon except this time Leon is speaking backwards and Elliot seem completely uninterested.

Elliot returns home to find the two children from the Shining have grown up to become three creepy kids and they are all wearing the now famous FSociety mask. Yes, Elliot can at least identify it’s weirdness. Side note, along with the jumbly audio there are flashes of what look like lines of computer code almost as if it’s trying to break through and that is what’s causing the inconsistent audio.

Elliot watches the laundry tumble in the dryer. “That’s my internal fatal error”. Kernel Panic. Day number six without sleep. He’s crashing. The panic isn’t settling in anymore, it’s just lingering. As if it’s waiting for something.

Angela arrives at her Dive Bar turned Exquisite Dining experience dinner date. Her “Dinner date” is with Price and two other important and not age appropriate men. And Price even reintroduced himself. “Phillip Price, Master of the Universe”.

Elliot is coming down but still very much high on the Aderall. At his bi-weekly church group an adult bully tells his story of his violent act on an innocent Indian store owner. Elliot slowly turns his head from his half asleep posture and develops a sinister corner smile. The leader of this church group gently invites Elliot to share.

Inner Elliot: Naw…my system’s hung.

Real Elliot chimes in. She mentioned that God can help. Insert the non believer’s backlash. Why didn’t God help when my friend died for no reason? What’s about to happen is not much more than the theological interpretation of his first speech about how he hates society. He jumps around but keeps to his point. Countless wars in his name. Racist, sexist soup we’ve been drowning in. Exclusive groups in all religions. The analogy that religious leaders are nothing more than drug dealers of hope and the believers are the addicts. Referring to the collective ‘us’ as nothing more than fanboys falling over for the latest sci-fi franchise.

Elliot: If I’m not going to listen to my imaginary friend, why would I listen to yours? Worshiping his key to happiness. That’s just how he owns you. I’m not crazy enough to believe that. A distortion of reality. So, _____ God. He’s not a good enough scapegoat for me.

Time has passed and Price’s ‘friends’ are politely asked to give Price and Angela the room. It doesn’t take a genius to see Price had some ulterior motive. Both men that left were good upstanding company men, but they were also present during the deal to cover up the issues in Angela’s home town. The temperament of both Angela and Price go south. Price extends a disc with enough evidence to put both men away for a long time. Price gets up to leave when Angela suggests she doesn’t trust whatever Price is trying to do. Price advises her to remove the emotion and make the decision to take these men down easy. It feels like Price is grooming her.

Elliot sits at Leon’s diner, but with no Leon. Ray enters and sits in Leon’s seat that Leon is not occupying. Ray returned Elliot’s journal that Elliot discarded. In part because high Elliot put in a great deal coded chicken scratch. Then Ray levels with Elliot. Including the part where he lost his wife over 5 years ago. He goes on to explain that after his frozen in grief period, he began talking to her loudly while he ate his breakfast. Then he realized who he was talking to. He mentions this to attempt to relate to Elliot.

Dominique shows up at Romero’s mother’s place. Gains entry by offering to roll her joints that her cataracts won’t permit her to roll herself. Dominique is digging and Granny almost gave up Mobley. Grabbing a glass for Grammy (that are already packed for her move out of that home) Dominique discovers the dishware is wrapped in evidence. Including the flyer for the end of the world party.

Elliot is actually opening up to Ray. Ray tells the story about his wife’s strictness to following the rules and creating control. Then one day, none of it matters. Ray believes there is no getting up after you fall because life is just a series of perpetual falling. Ray pegs that the subject of the journal has meaning. Elliot tries to leave, but Ray talks him back in by suggesting that Elliot does want to talk about it. Dad returns but does so quietly. Inner Elliot monologues about the continuation of perpetual falling as we see Dominique make the trip to Coney Island. She stops and stares up at the front of the FSociety Headquarters. At the right angle with letters missing from the marquee, it literally reads F. . . . Society.

The eighth episode of the FOX Network series “Wayward Pines,” begins with the calm before the storm, as we hear Jason Higgins’ voice addressing the town’s citizens on the dawn of a new day. Higgins tells the residents that they’ll defeat their enemies and one of the ways they’ll show their determination’s to live their lives normally. He finishes his speech with the words “Go to school, work hard, be happy and enjoy your lives in Wayward Pines.”

What Higgins and the rest of the town’s unaware of, is that they’re in the midst of a life and death situation. Theo Yedlin and Kerry Campbell enter the superstructure in the mountain at the same time and they ride the elevator together. Yedlin’s got some disconcerting news for Campbell, after going through te results of the tests he performed on her, Theo tells Kerry due to medical issues she’d be unable to carry a child to term. Campbell’s normally cool and calm demeanor gives way to the devastation she feels hearing the news, crying that she can’t fulfill her obligation as a member of the First Generation. The elevator stops at her floor and she tells Yedlin to let her know if Megan Fisher gets in his way. It’s at that moment we realize they’re clueless to the danger in their midst, but that will change quickly.

Yedlin realizes something’s wrong when he reaches the lab and the lights are off, he turns them on to find Fisher’s lifeless body sitting in her wheelchair, the floor soaked in her blood. Theo then discovers Margaret’s escaped and he pushes the button sounding the alarm. The soldiers arrive along with Kerry and Jason and they start searching the superstructure for Margaret, but they soon realize she’s escaped the facility.

Higgins starts barking out instructions to Mario, but Yedlin interrupts him and tells Jason he’s got to inform the residents of the situation. Jason automatically tries to dismiss Theo’s advice but suddenly turns to Kerry and says Yedlin’s correct, they’ll tell all the residents to immediately get indoors, unless they want to help in the search.

Before the announcement’s made, we join Rebecca and Xander for an awkward but illuminating conversation. The couple may have started living separately six months before, but apparently they’d been intimate far more recently as we find out Rebecca’s carrying Xander’s child. He asks her why she hadn’t told Yedlin and she tells him that she still has feelings for Theo.

Margaret’s trying to get to the spot she used to get inside the electric fence to escape, when she slips and starts to fall from a cliff. She hangs on with one hand and attempts to pull herself up, however when she realizes that won’t work she jumps to the ground below unharmed.

The announcement goes out to all the residents to seek shelter and lock the doors. Over at Wayward Pines Academy, Frank Armstrong tries to convince one of his pals to hunker down in the school’s basement. However his buddy gives him a wink and a smile and says if it’s truly the end of the world, he’s not about to waste it in the basement as he and his girlfriend walk off holding hands.

Frank’s younger sister Lucy pleads with her brother to take her to Rebecca’s hair salon and after she tells her brother she’ll feel safer there, he agrees to her request. What they don’t realize is the trip to the town square will put them dangerously close to Margaret.

Adam Hassler and Yedlin team up to try to capture Margaret, each carrying a gun and Hassler asks Theo if he knows how to shoot? The doctor says his father taught him when he was a kid, but he stopped shooting when he became a doctor and realized how much damage a bullet could cause. Adam tries to console Yedlin, saying Wayward Pines has caused many residents to break promises they made to themselves. He then suggests that once they bag their trophy they should celebrate in the town square. Theo says that Margaret’s not a trophy and Hassler responds that Yedlin best hope she becomes one.

Margaret’s spotted on the roofs of the shops in the town square, Mario and his soldiers spray the roofs with gunfire but don’t come close to hitting her. When one of the soldiers makes it to the roofs they realize she’s escaped once again. The soldiers start getting various reports that the female Abbie’s been seen all over town, so they split up and start searching.

Frank and Lucy walk to Rebecca’s salon and Armstrong attempts to keep his younger sister calm by talking about her upcoming spelling-bee. However the Armstrong’s are unaware that Margaret’s about 30-yards away and recognizes Frank from their encounter at the merry-go-round, but she lets them pass. She then discovers Frank’s buddy making out with his girlfriend in the woods, but she lets them be as well. The third couple she comes upon aren’t so lucky, as one of the soldiers kisses his wife goodbye before heading to join the other soldiers. Margaret recognizes the uniform as the same as what the soldiers that captured her wore and as soon as the wife goes inside her house she attacks the soldier and quickly kills him. She then picks up his corpse and carries his body on her shoulders.

The Armstrong’s reach Rebecca’s salon and she hurries them into her shop, where they join Arlene and a young married couple. Suddenly Xander comes into the shop carrying a canvas bag filled with weapons he’d been hiding. The couple says they want to help in the search, so Beck gives them each a rifle and tells them not to point them at anything they don’t intend to kill.

Rebecca says that they could determine where Margaret’s heading far easier if she had a copy of what the Abbies settlement looked like before Pilcher destroyed it and built Wayward Pines on top of the ruins. She suddenly remembers that there’s a copy of what she needs in Jason’s office inside the mountain and says she’ll retrieve it. Xander begs her to be careful.

Hassler and Yedlin see blood on some foliage and believe it’s Margaret’s so they start following her trail East but then they discover the corpse and realize that Margaret purposely mislead them. Hassler believes they should start heading South, while Theo’s convinced they should remain going East. They then hear gunfire coming from the East and the men split up with Yedlin heading towards the gunfire, while Adam continues South.

When Theo reaches a housing development, he finds the source of the gunshots he heard. Turns out that the married couple from the salon suddenly se Margaret at the same time that Mario and three soldiers do. The husband attempts to shoot Margaret but his shot goes awry and he instead hits Mario in his abdomen. One of the soldiers reflexively fires back and hits the husband in the throat, killing him instantly. When Yedlin arrives he sees the wife and the soldiers with weapons pointed at each other. Theo takes charge and orders them all to drop their weapons so they can get Mario to the hospital. Yedlin’s authoritative demeanor gets their respect and they all drop their weapons and then one of the soldiers asks Theo what next sir? They carry Mario to the hospital.

Rebecca shows up at Jason’s office door and tells the soldier guarding it she needs to go in there, but the soldier refuses saying she’s not authorized. She smiles and said that Jason sent her there and that he should call Higgins to verify her story, though he may get a tad upset as he’s in the midst of trying to capture Margaret.

The ruse works as the soldier lets her into the office and she quickly finds the document she seeks, but she’s soon joined by Kerry asking what Rebecca’s doing in there? Rebecca says she found what she needed, the schematics of the Abbies settlement, so they can determine where Margaret’s headed. After sniping at each other for a bit, Rebecca heads back to the town square. However as she’s walking back she suddenly looks right into Margaret’s eyes as they’re about 20-feet from each other.

Margaret raises her hand to attack and Rebecca reflexively puts her hand on her belly as she’s concerned about her child. Margaret immediately realizes that Rebecca’s carrying a baby, as we see Margaret flashback to the Abbies settlement before Pilcher destroyed it and we see an Abbie holding her newborn. Whether she was about to show Rebecca mercy or not, will never be known as Xander appears from out of nowhere and hits Margaret with a shot to the forearm. Badly injured she growls at Beck and runs away and Rebecca and Xander kiss passionately.

Jason pulls Kerry aside and takes her into a room she’d never seen before containing cryogenic chambers. Higgins smiles and says this is their escape, they’ll go back to sleep and return after the Abbies die out and they’ll become the new Adam and Eve. Kerry breaks down and tells Jason she can’t have children and Higgins says he feels so sorry for her and had he known that he would have planned things differently. She then tells him she loves him and he responds the same way. However will Jason decide to choose a new mate?

Mario wakes up after surgery and Theo tells him the bullet passed right through him, missing his liver by about an inch. Mario looks Yedlin in the eyes and asks are we dead? Theo says that Mario should make a full recovery, but the soldier shakes his head and asks Yedlin are WE dead? Theo admits he was doesn’t know and the brave front Mario puts on disappeared as he broke down crying.

Margaret finds the drain pipe she used to enter the town and she’s about to enter it when she hears a rifle being cocked. She turns around to see Hassler pointing his rifle at her. Margaret’s fearful at first but she flashes back to Adam in the lab saying they needed to set her free. Realizing Hassler’s aware of her intelligence, she suddenly stands tall and stares into Adam’s eyes. He gestures with his head for her to enter the drainage pipe and she doesn’t hesitate and takes off. Hassler waits a few minutes then lays his rifle on the ground and heads into the pipe.

After studying the schematics, Rebecca and Xander head to Jason and tell him they know Margaret’s escape route. Along with Kerry and some soldiers, they arrive at the drainage pipe too late and they realize that Margaret either took Hassler or he allowed her to escape. To keep the Abbies from using the drain pipe to invade the town, Higgins had the soldiers collapse their end of the pipe with grenades.

On the other end of the pipe we see Adam emerge to find a swarm of males waiting for him. They appear ready to pounce on him when Margaret growls at the males and signals for them to let Hassler pass safely. As soon as he gets out of the area Margaret collapses into the arms of two other Abbies who attempt to comfort her. Margaret flashes back to the day that Pilcher destroyed their settlement.

It has felt like quite a long time since you and I spent time with Elliot, The Aldersons, FSociety and Evil Corp. Let ‘water cooler’ mode recommence. Part One begins right now.

The opening scene in tonight’s season 2 premiere begins with a familiar face, the public face (or mask) of FSociety. The unfamiliar part is the identity of the person wearing said mask. Tyrell Wellick. Wellick questions the nature of the mask and why it was chosen. Elliot is in code mode so he probably didn’t even hear the question. The camera moves slowly around Elliot to reveal his command prompt. A number of lines of code revealing commands that include “fuxsocy” and a number of encryption lines. Wellick asks “what it is”? Elliot responds with the ever ominous, “It’s happening…” Wellick sits down at Elliot’s computer as Elliot moves away as if he expects to see or hear something in reaction to what is ‘happening’. Instead he reaches into the popcorn maker digging into the popcorn to grab something.

Wellick: It’s almost as if something’s come alive.

The next scene is a flashback to the scene relived in season one a few times. The story told of young Elliot fearing for his father’s life, he betrays his father’s trust and tells his mother of his father’s fate. His father returns the favor by shoving young Elliot out of the window. The next scene involves his parents’ reaction to what Elliot must have been unconscious for. Fast forward to the hospital following the fall. Elliot will be fine, but as protocol goes, the doctor must speak to Elliot alone. To gauge any abuse the may have precipitated this ‘accident’. Elliot drifts off staring at his brain x-rays.

Elliot wakes from this relative day-dream as present day Elliot. Pleased to wake in his own perfect loop. Starting the day as he has started every day for the last month. He stops short as he walks past a tv airing President Obama’s reaction to the attacks perpetrated by FSociety and Tyrell Wellick.
Following breakfast (with Leon, a kid who spends way too much time talking about Seinfeld-something he’s just recently discovered), he comes home, usually around 10am. When he ‘helps out around the house’. More of President Obama speaking on the FSociety attacks. At noon, its time for lunch with Leon. And yes, Leon is still talking about Seinfeld. After lunch, Elliot and Leon catch a basketball game. No, not at the Garden or even Barclay’s as that wouldn’t logically fit. . A random pickup basketball game in the park. The local pyro is there (usually) and her routine-ness seems to be a source of calming familiarity for Elliot who is otherwise out of his element. Social gatherings, TV discussions, and sports. Then you guessed it…dinner with Leon.

Two days a week Elliot meets with a church group. This may be the most peculiar, not for any real underlying reason. Just that Elliot is attending for the routine of it. Like watching basketball for the organized chaos that the rules create. For Elliot, routine and repetition is the allure of all of this. Even mentions that his mother doesn’t have internet access to distract him. Is he really living with his mother? The absolute last place I would have guessed. He does this, keeps to his routine, because that’s what he believes normal people do. Keep life on ‘repeat’.

This play-by-play of Elliot’s new routine brings us back to Krista’s office. She seems to be lost in her own thoughts. Then she asks the question we’re all asking ourselves. Why his mother’s house? His mother is the source of a large portion of his childhood trauma. Yet, while Elliot’s answer is one we’ve heard before, it makes a lot of sense here. The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.

For the first time since his admission that he hacked Krista, Elliot opens up a little. Why not go back to his old life. Answer? Because he can’t trust himself back there. Krista gets a little indignant when he hesitates to answer the question of why.

Elliot: It’s not that I don’t trust myself. It’s that I don’t trust him.

Inner Elliot speaking to the ‘him’ referenced earlier. An identity that I am completely willing to admit is anyone. The natural conclusion is that Elliot suffers from split personality disorder. Maybe ‘he’ is one personality in Elliot’s head that confirms dissociative identity disorder. Clearly whatever the practical application is, Elliot doesn’t trust the other voice in his head. He refers to him as his ‘friend’ and at this point in the relationship, actual Elliot feels betrayed.

When Elliot arrives home, we find another of what must be a mental disorder on some level. Elliot’s father lying on the bed reading Penthouse (for the articles I’m sure) and flat-out asking about ‘Elliot’s friend’. Elliot seems to be giving Mr. Alderson the silent treatment as he adds to his journal, including the phrase, “He’s here”. Push comes to shove quite literally as Dad shoves Elliot to the bed with a handgun pointed at his face as Dad tries to squash the notion that Elliot is in control. Elliot speaks up and asks him where is Tyrell Wellick? When Dad refuses, Elliot begins to tell his father a more colorful way of ‘getting bent’. Then Mr. Alderson shoots Elliot in the head splattering blood and brain matter all over the wall. Remember, in modern television, no one is ever really dead. Elliot slowly sits up, looks his father in the eyes and asks, “are you done?” Then he moves back to his journal like nothing happened. Still sporting the bullet hole to the forehead he writes, “he shot me in the head again”.

Someone who resembles Darlene in an FSociety mask and a couple masked associates arrive to castrate the Wall Street Bull. Side note. Why are so many shows and movies hell-bent on damaging the Wall Street Bull? The next day a new character, a middle-aged woman whose identity is still in question arrives home after a run. Once home, she has a hard time keeping her very integrated home from malfunctioning. Alarm goes haywire. The news (some sort of news) comes on and won’t turn off until the segment is finished. And even while she attempts to swim, the pool stereo won’t quit and the lights turn out. In the shower, the water keeps getting hotter while the temperature in the house keeps getting colder. If you’re thinking Ghost in the Machine, it might be a little too soon for that.

A strange hand that belongs to a body with a prosthetic leg simply walks in to the aforementioned integrated home and instantly all of the audible chaos stops at once. The one-legged figure is not alone. Her entrance into the residence is familiar. Shades of Jason Lee in Dogma, setting up a base of operations.

In an unexpected stroke, Gideon waits patiently in Elliot’s mother’s dining room. Despite Dad’s presence in the corner, Elliot is darn near social. Gideon is the subject of the FBI’s attention. He’s been cooperative but for some reason they keep coming at him. Gideon also believes he’s being continually hacked. There is essentially a three-way conversation. Gideon -> Elliot, Dad -> Elliot, Elliot -> no one. Right as Dad suggests the emotional weight of framing Gideon, Elliot begins to bleed again from his previously imagined gunshot wound.

Dad keeps rambling. Driving the proverbial knife deeper and deeper. Going so far as to suggest that eventually his bullet will penetrate Elliot’s thick skull. Suggesting that Elliot is on a downward spiral to madness. Gideon is there humbly to ask for assistance. Elliot hangs his head a mutters that he can’t help. Dad suggests that it takes a specifically troubled person to sit there and let a man like Gideon take the fall. Gideon has no earthly idea the evils Elliot is fighting and because of that detail he, as Dad puts it acting like a small animal, does what all small animals do when they are threatened. Try to act like bigger animals. Gideon threatens to turn over what he thinks he knows about Elliot to the feds.

Mr. Alderson: He has a point. He does know a lot. Maybe too much.
(Alderson slowly walks behind Gideon)
Mr. Alderson: I wonder…If I sliced his throat right here, would it be me doing it? Or you doing it?
Gideon (voice growing more clear): I will go to them. And tell them everything.
Mr. Alderson: Truth is it doesn’t really matter with the choices you’ve made lately. It all adds up to one thing. You add up to one thing. Me. (Elliot watches as Dad slices Gideon ear to ear-but not really as it didn’t actually happen)

Elliot says nothing but heads upstairs where he writes in his journal. I am control. I am control repeatedly. And follows it up with “Control is an Illusion”. The thing Dad said just before shooting him in the head. Elliot’s plan is to stay as regimented as possible to maintain his sanity until Dad goes away, allowing Elliot to return to his natural self. As if Mr. Alderson will just disappear out of frame like the photo from Back to the Future.

Even Elliot’s meals with Leon are not free from Father interruptions. Elliot remains steadfast in the adherence of his plan. Then Dad explains that he may just go from annoyed to hurt and hurting his feelings would be unwise. Elliot collects himself and begins to ask about the mask.

Elliot: How do you take off the mask when its stops being a mask? It’s as much a part of me as I am. Like the world we unmask. We will find our true selves again.

The camera moves from Elliot to a party showing FSociety supporters celebrating with the Bull of Wall Street’s removed bits to Darlene seated on the floor looking emotional. Darlene puts herself together and from the second floor can be seen by the rowdy group taking selfies with the Bull’s unmentionables. Darla does not appreciate the selfies based on the mere risk of making those pics public. She demands to have the phone then proceeds to smash it.

Darlene refocuses their attention. Reiterating that they are in a war. A war they are losing. They are in the home of the unidentified character from 20 minutes ago. She is now identified by her name from inside Evil Corp. Madam Executioner. Shortly thereafter, Darlene gives instructions on how to move outside of this location as to not burn this location. No one takes the same route twice to or from their new safe house.

At an Evil Corp bank, or Evil Bank we’ll call it, a woman in offended at the predicament that Evil Bank is putting her in. Their inability to verify payments has this customer in a state of limbo. Even cancelling her acct is no easy task. As the camera pulls back you can make out what looks like a countdown clock and court jester image. It reads, “Your files are encrypted. To get the key to decrypt the files, you have to pay 5.9 million USD. If payment is not made by tomorrow night, we’ll brick your entire system. More instructions forthcoming. -fsociety. Time Left: 23h 59m 12s.” And naturally, the Evil Bank IT guy is the Horatio Sands looking gentlemen from Mr. Robot’s original team.

Phillip Price, Scott Knowles and Madam Executioner sit in a meeting about the clock. Pay the ransom, don’t pay the ransom. Then Price notices a secondary request. One of Evil Corp’s Chief Officers will need to make the drop. Seems like a non-starter until Scott Knowles offers to do it. This concludes Part One of tonight’s double episode season 2 premiere.

Knowles shows up at the specified location with two large duffel bags. It’s very un-ransom drop like. The area is flooded with people. He stands there cautiously sizing up everyone who walks by. Including a very creepy guy walking his dog. The beautiful irony is the faint sound of Phil Collins singing “Take Me Home” subtly in the background. A bike messenger makes a b-line for Knowles. He is not the contact. He is just a bike messenger making a delivery to a man standing in the middle of a walkway who answers to being called ‘someone from E Corp’.

The delivery was for nondescript backpack. Despite being warned not to look in the bag by the voice in Knowles’ ear, he does so anyway. There is a note in the bag. Knowles’ phone rings. It’s a disguised voice that demands he do what the note says within 10 seconds or else. Also in the bag is an FSociety mask. Knowles puts it on and proceeds to open the bags. Ignoring the voice in his ear, Knowles unloads the bags onto the walkway and proceeds to burn the 5.9 million in front of a viewing crowd. Think Ledger’s Joker burning half of the Mob’s money but visually much smaller. Darlene being one of the onlookers.

Price meets with some White House officials in Washington DC. He apparently was under the impression this would be a meeting of good news. They will not contribute anymore funds beyond the 900 million they’ve already given to help Evil Corp. The only way to keep moving is for Price to resign. The President can’t ask Congress for a bailout. Instead of agreeing, he fires into a speech about FDR and the Great Depression. That comes together to create the theme that the country made it out of the Great Depression because the people were sold an illusion. Price resigning would destroy that illusion and any chance they have to save this thing. “A Con cannot succeed without the CONfidence”.

Side note. Wellick’s wife still scares me. Tied to all four posts and wearing about 3 square inches of material, someone who isn’t Tyrell moves a large kitchen knife across her flesh eventually breaking the skin. He then proceeds to do as he is ordered and slaps her really hard.

At a local corner store we are finally introduced to Dominique DiPierro played by Grace Gummer. That name might not be familiar to you but the face should be. Gummer played Hallie Shea in seasons 2 and 3 of the incredible HBO Series and latest television product of Aaron Sorkin, The Newsroom. If that’s not enough, Grace Gummer is the daughter of Don Gummer and the highly decorated Meryl Streep. Let that fester, because if this is news to you, you won’t be able to un-see Meryl is Grace’s face. It’s actually quite uncanny.

Now that we’ve had our Wikipedia moment, who is Dominique? First layer is that she’s a Fed. The Fed that Gideon apparently plans to spill Elliot to. Meanwhile, Elliot sees patterns in his daily pickup game watching. Trying to marry the chaos of a game with rules to the effort of wearing the mask. Do these men mask who they are? Or do they become who they are when they put on the mask? Then the ball falls out-of-bounds and lands near Elliot. Not familiar with the etiquette of a neighborhood basketball court he does nothing to return the ball to the combatants. When one of the player’s voice reaches a hostile level Leon jumps in. Leon tosses the ball and begins to square off with the player giving Elliot grief. The ball is returned by a third person off camera, but it looked like Leon was fully prepared to stand up for Elliot. Which may not be a big deal, but if you haven’t seen this episode yet, imagine Lil Wayne mixed with O Dog from Menace II Society, if that reference is not lost on you.

Then the third-party is revealed. Its Craig Robinson. Seriously, that’s not a typo. Craig Robinson of such productions like The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine, Knocked Up, The host of Last Comic Standing, and even the short-lived self titled “Mr. Robinson” show. Not criticizing, just pointing out that Craig Robinson doesn’t feel like a fit. But then again, I said that about Patton Oswalt as Constable Bob on Justified…and he was great.

Ray begins to make conversation with Elliot. Which actually works for a while. Ray speaks almost monologuing about the greater meaning of what they see. A bunch of people playing a weak version of a popular game. Which parallels nicely into what Elliot sees. His words may speak to Elliot on some level, which is why Elliot is compelled to leave the situation. Before he can, Ray identifies that Elliot is not much of a talker and makes it clear that he is alright with that. Elliot stops short. Ray mentions that talking is good in his line of work. Then when he refers to Elliot and computers, Elliot’s wall goes up again.

Elliot abruptly squashes any notion of him and computers going forward. That’s when Mr. Alderson shows up again egging Elliot on to help Ray with whatever it is. Just to get that feeling back. Ray backs off with a light-hearted reference to his wife, then asks if it’s alright if they continue talking. To be honest I thought that gesture would’ve spoken to Elliot, but he replied with a simple, “no thanks”.

Ray: Damn man. That’s some cold brutal _____ right there. I’m gonna have to go listen to some Adele on repeat when I get back home. Okay. I can take a hint.

Elliot still believes that by severing himself from computers, getting off the grid so to speak will remove his ‘weapon of choice’ from Mr. Robot. Hoping that eventually Mr. Robot will die. And we have a Nancy Grace sighting. That’s not a political comment, that’s a “she annoys me as a broadcaster” comment. Nancy Grace is Nancy Gracing the issue of the missing culprit, Tyrell Wellick.

Mrs. Wellick returns home to find a neatly wrapped gift. A jewelry box. Inside the jewelry box is a smaller also wrapped box. The smaller box is fixed to the jewelry box. Under the jewelry box is a Nexus phone taped to it.

We get our first glimpse of Angela in season 2 working her Evil Corp job as a PR Manager. She’s hardened and cold. However, she gets the desired result. This prompts her to bring an end to her and Nayar’s (the lawyer working her mother’s case against Evil Corp) meetings. Something Nayar does not take well. Nayar is still under the impression that this job of Angela’s is a temp job used to compile any intel on Evil Corp for their lawsuit against them. This effectively ends their relationship.

Another day, another pickup game. Ray begins to break the ice this time by claiming that Maxine, Ray’s aging basset hound, likes Elliot more than Ray. Elliot tries to ignore Ray and stands fast on his stance of not talking or befriending Ray. Ray is trying to be social this time because apparently, Ray and Elliot met last night and clearly spoke about something of consequence. A concept that Elliot is completely unaware of. Elliot says nothing. Looks up then books it, full sprint to get back to his journal.

The regiment, the perfect loop was designed and executed to avoid this very slip up. The journal shows nothing. 10:34 pm to sleep, awake at 6:33 am. He can’t account for it. Then Dad appears to turn the tables on what Elliot thinks he knows.

Mr. Alderson: What do they see when they see you coming?
Inner Elliot: And this is why I’m different, sometimes my mask takes over.
Actual Elliot: Why did you talk to him?
Mr. Alderson: Because…I’m going to make you realize…
Actual Elliot: What…? What will you make me realize.
(Alderson steps forward)
Mr. Alderson: That they see…me.

Elliot walks away back turned and stands silent for a minute. He turns around and I’m not ashamed to say, he does something both new and alarming at the same time. He smiles and laughs almost uncontrollably. Almost like one might imagine the Joker laughed the first time his mind broke. The laughing even confuses Dad. Alderson resorts to the gun to the head bit again. Elliot is not caving on that anymore. He demands, “Tell me where Tyrell Wellick is or shoot me again”. Both personalities square off but neither man gives any ground. That is until Elliot leaves for his church group.

Gideon tries to enjoy a drink at a bar alone, but no such luck. The stranger talks about the attacks, the leaks, the government cover up,etc when Gideon tries to defuse the situation but this stranger is not easily shaken. The man reveals that he knows he’s talking to Gideon Goddard. He also reveals that he can see why Gideon makes the perfect patsy. He just needed Gideon to believe it too on some level. This man acknowledges that he will be a hero by tomorrow. Then with no notice he pulls out a gun and shoots Gideon in the jugular.

Back at the Wellick’s home Mrs. Wellick plays the jewelry box/music box while waiting for that cell phone to ring. She gets up to check on the crying baby. While she’s gone the phone rings. Missed call from ‘unknown’.

Elliot sits staring blankly during his church group. He seems mildly engaged as he listens to a woman read from the book of Revelations. “I am the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end.” Elliot becomes increasingly calm. He dozes off then wakes up with a payphone receiver in his hand. The line is not dead but no one is speaking. Elliot speaks first. There is a pause, then a familiar voice and familiar greeting.

The true barometer of a good mystery is when the author sends you down one path and eventually deposits you in a place you never expected to reach. In what could arguably be the strongest episode of its second season, the FOX Network’s Summer series “Wayward Pines,” left this viewer rather shocked at its conclusion. We watch David Pilcher’s utopian community evolve from another perspective, that of the brooding CJ Mitchum, and we find out that Mitchum witnessed the fall of humanity. However, bearing witness took a tough toll on Mitchum, that he’s never truly recovered from.

We begin the evening in the cryogenic facility and a graphic informs us that it’s April 19, 2034, twenty years after the true-believers went into suspended animation. We watch Mitchum get revived for the first time, a process he’ll repeat every 20-years, until 4014. There’s a large blackboard divided into squares and CJ climbs a ladder to record the date in chalk in the upper left square. Mitchum puts on Classical music and opens the windows of the facility, allowing the sun to pour in.

We then watch Mitchum begin rituals he’ll carry out each time he’s revived. He breaks open a roll of pennies and tosses one into a glass container, likely to check oxygenation levels. He makes the first move on a chessboard, then works out on a heavy-bag. He then monitors TV and radio reports, we hear that North Korean refugees being welcomed into the United States and that each immigrant’s being screened for a virus. CJ watches the sunset and asks aloud was it a mistake? He then heads back into the chamber for the next 20-years.

Theo Yedlin storms into the lab where the Abbies are caged and asks Megan Fisher why she never told him about the brand on Margaret’s palm? Fisher says it’s just a tribal marking and Yedlin responds that to have tribes and to utilize the tools to create the brand proves the Abbies are intelligent beings. He then tells Megan that Hassler told him the brand signifies that Margaret’s a leader and says they need to find a way to communicate with her.

Theo grabs some flash-cards and sets up a rudimentary communications system with Margaret, teaching her concepts like yes, no, friend and leader. We can tell that Margaret’s pleased with these new tactics by the look in her eyes and perhaps a war can be avoided.

Mitchum’s revived again in the year 2514 and we can see by the dates on the chalkboard that he’s gone through this ritual every 20-years. Civilization’s crumbling as only one TV network’s broadcasting and the only signal Mitchum picks up on the radio’s an alert. CJ leaves the facility and starts exploring the area when he’s startled to find he’s not alone and he pulls out his gun. A young man stands in front of him, we can see that he’s started to evolve into an Abbie, although he wears clothes, has a full head of hair and talks to Mitchum. He introduces himself as Griffin and tells CJ, he doesn’t carry metal.

The pair explore the area together and Mitchum’s pleased to find a river with potable water and he’s delighted when he sees a school of fish swimming in front of him. Griffin reaches into the river and we realize his hands are claw-like and he grabs one of the fish and then growls.

That night the two build a fire and Mitchum sits in front of it while Griffin sleeps. However we hear Griffin alternate between moaning and growling as he sleeps and CJ gets creeped out and tries to quietly sneak away. He doesn’t get far before Griffin catches up with him and pleads for Mitchum to take him with him. CJ attempts being diplomatic but Griffin grabs him and asks why Mitchum can be saved while he can’t. The two start to struggle but Mitchum breaks the other man’s neck pretty quickly. He then apologizes that he couldn’t save him and heads back to the facility.

The attempt to communicate with Margaret’s making progress as Fisher tries to give the female a cookie, but the Abbie points for Megan to give it to the three males caged beside her. Yedlin’s pleased to see Margaret’s reaction, as she’s showing empathy and more concern for others than herself. Megan scoffs at Theo’s excitement and asks Yedlin if he truly believes communicating with Margaret’s going to solve anything? Theo responds it better, otherwise it’s likely that a war’s coming that the Abbies will probably win.

We rejoin Mitchum in the year 3234 and the weight of the responsibility he carries has gotten the best of him. As he sits at the chessboard he suddenly sees a vision of his late wife Eileen in front of him. He tells Eileen he’s tired and wants to join her, but the vision tells him he’s got a job to carry out and he must fulfill his responsibility.

Adam Hassler comes into the lab and tells Yedlin and Fisher they have to release Margaret or the Abbies will soon storm the town. Megan goes off to get Jason, while Theo tells Hassler that he’s on his side. He then explains that Margaret wanted to be found, that she appeared in front of the carousel and he tells Adam he’s started communicating with her.

CJ reaches the year 4014, and revives the group of true-believers that will prepare Wayward Pines before they revive Group A. When all get revived Pilcher thanks Mitchum for getting them all safely to this point. The pair then leave the facility and start exploring their surroundings and quickly realize they’re not alone when they see they’re standing in the middle of an Abbie settlement.

Mitchum suggests they go back into hibernation but Pilcher decides that the Abbies are mankind gone wrong and says that they’ll push the Abbies back and build an electric fence around the town. We saw in the previous episode the methods Pilcher used to reclaim the land.

Megan returns with Jason and Kerry and Yedlin says that they need to negotiate with Margaret and Higgins says that he won’t be party to that. However Kerry thinks it’s worth a try, and then her and Megan start trading insults. However Yedlin gets his way and they start utilizing the flash-cards again. When Theo explains to Margaret that Jason’s their leader, the Abbie makes it clear she wants to negotiate with Yedlin. Jason of course gets disgusted by the suggestion.

Theo then tries to show Margaret he means the Abbies no harm and punches in the code to open the cage of the male next to her. With palms raised in surrender and repeating the word Friends like a mantra he enters the male’s cage. The Abbie tries to attack Theo, but Adam pulls him from the cage before he’s harmed. Margaret then snarls at the male who whimpers in response. Yedlin defiantly proclaims that proves Margaret controls the males, Higgins declares the experiments over and then kills the three males with one shot each. Before he can shoot Margaret, Theo wrestles the gun away from him. Higgins demands Kerry give him her gun, but she says if he still values her opinion that he’ll let Margaret live. Although he’s unhappy with the resolution he leaves the lab with Kerry.

We rejoin CJ in the year 4018, awakening day for Group A, and Fisher asks Mitchum to join in welcoming the group to their new lives, but Mitchum says he’ll pass on her offer. He tells Megan that he had 2000 years to adjust to the future and Fisher expects these people to adjust instantly. She tells CJ that all will adjust splendidly to their new reality. However her optimism proves unjustified as the people of Group A freak out which leads to their destruction.

Adam leaves the lab telling Theo that he’s Margaret’s choice to replace Jason, but the Abbies are humanity’s replacement. Megan’s visibly shaken by the statement and says she can’t accept the concept that the Abbies are superior beings. Yedlin’s just disgusted with what he’s witnessed and tells Fisher he’s heading back to the hospital to take a shower and try to clear his head and says he’ll return in a couple of hours.

Jason and Kerry seek out Mitchum and ask him if he thought the Abbies were intelligent when he first encountered them with Pilcher? Mitchum asks with all that’s going on why are they suddenly asking that question. Higgins ignores Mitchum’s question and says that he won’t allow the destruction of humanity to occur on his watch.

The final scene takes place in the lab as we watch Megan typing on a computer when she suddenly looks like she’s about to pass out. As the shot widens we see blood dripping down Fisher’s leg and the floor’s covered in her blood, she suddenly says Margaret and we realize the female Abbie released herself from her cage by punching the same digits Yedlin used to open the male’s cage. She then gutted Fisher with a scalpel and Fisher takes her last breath. Margaret walks through the pool of blood as she escapes from the lab.